1 No. 50
The City of New York, et al.,
Respondents-Appellants, v. Dezer Properties, Inc., et al.,
Appellants-Respondents.
2000 NY Int. 44
May 4, 2000
This memorandum is uncorrected and subject to revision before
publication in the New York Reports.
Margaret G. King, for respondents-appellants. Simon H. Rothkrug, for appellants-respondents. Council of Regulated Adult Liquor Licensees, amicus curiæ.
MEMORANDUM:
The order of the Appellate Division should be reversed,
with costs to defendants, and the order of Supreme Court
reinstated. The certified question need not be answered on the
ground that it is unnecessary.
New York City Zoning Resolution § 12-10 provides that,
in order to qualify as an "adult establishment" subject to
municipal regulation, a "substantial portion" of a commercial
establishment must include the following adult uses: "an adult
book store, adult eating or drinking establishment, adult
theater, or other adult commercial establishment, or any
combination thereof" (see, Amended Zoning Resolution of City of
NY § 12-10; City of New York v Les Hommes, , 94 NY2d 267, 270).
The Zoning Resolution goes on to describe an "adult eating or
drinking establishment" as an eating or drinking establishment
that "regularly features" specified adult activities. Finally,
the Zoning Resolution defines "substantial portion" by the
percentage of floor area devoted to the abovementioned adult
uses.
The sole question now before this Court is one of
statutory interpretation. Dezer Properties, Inc. contends that
"substantial portion" analysis is applicable in determining
whether its club, only a part of which is dedicated to adult
activities, is an "adult establishment" subject to regulation.
The City, by contrast, contends that any adult activity in a club
in and of itself qualifies the entire club as a regulable "adult
establishment."
We agree with Supreme Court and the Appellate Division,
each of which concluded that the "substantial portion" component
applied in determining whether Dezer's club constituted an "adult
establishment" subject to municipal regulation (259 2 116,
121; seealso, 1995 City Planning Commn Report on Adult Use
Zoning Amendments, at 49-51; City of New York v Wiggles, 178 Misc
2d 1007, 1013-1014; City of New York v Show World, Inc., 178 Misc
2d 812, 816-817). By so construing the ordinance, we accord
meaning to every section of the City's own Zoning Resolution,
whereas the interpretation urged by the City would effectively
excise the "substantial portion" component from the enactment in
cases of eating or drinking establishments. While unanimous in
this reading of the Zoning Resolution, the Appellate Division
nevertheless disagreed concerning actual application of the
"substantial portion" component to the facts of this case. The
City, however, conceded before Supreme Court that Dezer allocated
less than a "substantial portion" of the club's floor area to
adult activities (see, Transcript of Mar. 16, 1999, Oral
Argument; seealso, 259 AD2d, at 120, 122, supra). Thus, the
issue was not properly before the Appellate Division and cannot
be reached by this Court.